BRET HART RETURNS!!!!! Signs short term WWE deal!

All I can say is wow! So all the marks for total crappy wrestling (TNA) with their geriatric poster boy Hulk Hogan can go suck a lemon. Vincent Kennedy McMahon pulled it off yet again! The return of the best there is, was, and ever will be! So far it is a short term deal that expires after Wrestlemania,..so stay tuned! WWE rules!

Surviver Series Review

Well,...this past weekend was the annual Surviver Series, the one PPV whereby back in the day, every match was contested by either teams of 4 or 5 eliminations style tag team matches. Needless to say it has since amended itself, which in a way makes sense. Back in the 1980s, the WWE(WWF) style was characterized by short matches put on by bodybuilders and cartoon characters. The matches were kept short for the simple reason that guys like Ultimate Warrior were not exactly known for their mat skills or 'Catch as Catch can' style. As it stands today, there are still the traditional matches, (usually two) and in my opinion they served as launching pads for two new careers, namely Sheamus and Drew McEntire. (is that how you spell it?)

Undertaker took on Big Show and Chris Jericho and retained, which still puzzles me. Why does 'Taker need a belt? He's already over, and only works part-time. A side note,..Surviver Series 1990 is where 'Taker made his debut. John Cena retained in his match with both Shawn Michaels and Triple H. Shawn shocked everyone by superkicking Triple H from the onset thereby setting a tone for the match, which was really great.

In all, wrestling is starting to get good again, which is a good thing. From both the wrestling perspective as well as the entertainment one, so it'll satisfy both ends of the spectrum. (BTW, Hogan ratings in TNA sucked! Too funny!)

My Personal Top Five Wrestlers,....(of all time!!!!)

In following the theme from my other blog, I would like to contribute my two cents of who I feel should be the top five wrestlers of all time. Of course this takes into account many factors, not just marketability, but also ability and ring psychology.

Sooo, without further adue,..

1. Ric Flair. Is there really a doubt? This guy had it all, charisma, ability, you name it. Ric Flair had a match in 2003 with Kevin Nash and made him look good! Now that takes talent.

2. Hulk Hogan. Yes, yes, I know, he can't wrestle. Nevertheless, Hogan got by on charisma alone with limited ability. People who say outright that he had no talent forget his matches in Japan. Don't get me wrong, he's not Ricky Steamboat but...

3. Undertaker. Often called the 'madonna' of pro wrestling because of is ability to constantly change his image thereby keeping it fresh. He pulls out his big moves (spots) once or twice a year and they mean something. Reduced to competing part-time, but well worth it, if only for his elaborate entrances.

4. Shawn Michaels. What can you say? The Icon. The Showstopper. The Main Event. Blends a mexican style, with american storytelling. Definetely earned his nicknames.

5. Steve Austin. The guy who drove WWE(f) back to the top beating out merchandising sales rivaled by Hulk Hogan. After he got injured in 1997, still managed to amplify his character by using a believable brawling style. And that's the bottom line, cause I said so!

There you have it. Disagree with me? Fine. But show me your list and we'll compare!

See ya!

Hogan hinting at Austin,...Macho Man...

So in yet another post on TNA wrestling, I will need to cover the recent rumors of Hulk Hogan on Bubba the love sponge telling people that Austin and Macho might be on their way to TNA. Here is my two cents. As far as Austin is concerned, that is highly unlikely to say the least. Steve Austin had an amazing send-off with last year's HOF, but then again Ric Flair did too the year before. Wow it truly is amazing how the human capacity for money can make anybody do anything. Stone Cold is finished wrestling and I doubt that he would have any desire to continue a career in TNA with all his injuries. As far as Macho Man is concerned,..doesn't he have heat with Hogan? I mean along with his age of 93 years (sarcasm)what can he bring to the table? I used to criticize TNA's wrestling style,..now, I don't know. Haven't we all seen this stuff before? What about Samoa Joe?, AJ Styles? or Eric Young? I guess eventually they'll end up with Vince. I hope so.

Hulk Hogan's Brain Fart,...

First off, everyone knows that I am not a mark for TNA 'wrestling' so it pains me to report this and actually give them some sort of publicity. TNA is nothing more than an organized 'spot' fest with a few real wrestlers just waiting for their chance to go to New York. Here it is,..this past week TNA signed Hulk Hogan. Whewww, I said it and instinctively felt the need for a bowel movement. Hogan's knees are shot, his back out of back and he's suffering from personal problems equating his life to a future D- list celebrity kind of like Todd Bridges or Donnie Osmond. Well TNA, you reap what you sow, so I hope Hogan bankrupts your pseudo-wrestling crap. Imagine an 'X' division match where Hogan faces AJ Styles and forces him to do a clean job. (This won't happen as he'll probably try to main event with Kamala or Brutus Beefcake.) We can finally rename TNA,...WCW!

Shane O'Mac gives notice...

In a surprising move last week, Shane McMahon gave his notice to WWE that he will leave the company in January 2010. Sources are speculating that it is not because of a fallout with his father, but more because his mother's bid to run for the US Republican Senate seat. Shane has never shyed away from being an active competitor and when the situation called for it, would risk his own body to entertain the fans. His last major storyline was when he 'bought' WCW from under his father thus culminating in a match at Wrestlemania Seventeen.

Captain Lou Albano,...Farewell.

A short post, today Captain Lou Albano passed away at the age of 76. Forever, he will be remembered as one of the key characters along with Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper and Cyndi Lauper who ushered in the Rock'n wrestling connection way back in 1985. Wrestling was only then becoming mainstream, with the advent of Wrestlemania being Vince McMahon's big gamble. Aside from that, Captain Lou helped manage the Headshrinkers, George the animal Steele and the British Bulldogs.

Rest in Peace

THE T.O.W.

Last Friday, I had the priviledge of attending the T.O.W. event hosted and promoted by Marc Blondin. T.O.W. stands for Top of the World Wrestling, so the question remains, did it live up to its name? The answer is,.....no. Nevertheless, a great time was head especially the tribute for Pat Patterson acknowledging his contribution to 'Sports Entertainment.' The main event saw La Resistance(former WWE Tag Champs) vs Pierre Carl Ouellet and a mystery partner,....AL SNOW!!!(Yessss...!) The other main event saw Jay Phenomenon, a talent from NCW take on the one and only Honky Tonk Man. (A six minute classic, whereby Honky didn't bump on his back...).

Sarcasm aside, it was a lot of fun. Matt Morgan is huge, and future WWE developmental talent Darkko really impressed me,.especially his character whereby he's a type of coroner. (Imagine a Wrestlemania where he squares off against the Undertaker!!!,..Oh wait, then he'll lose and be relegated to opening matches before suffering the same Giant Gonzales like fate...lol!!!) All in all, a lot of fun.

Can Pro Wrestling be Redeemed...

The question most often asked by self righteous pundits trying to pin the latest steroid scandal on the wrestling industry. Back a few years ago, New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick launched an unrelenting unapologetic attack against the wrestling industry and its loyal followers. Needless to say individual responsibility is never an issue as because the liberal left wing agenda is simple,..eliminate freedom of speech in the name of tolerance and poltical correctness.

In 2007, a tragedy occured, Chris Benoit murdered his wife and child before killing himself. The aftermath produced a hailstorm of controversy as lefties came out of the wood work to show that steroids were the cause. Along comes Chris Nowinski, himself a former pro wrestler (and Harvard graduate BTW)with a more conclusive rational. Benoit had the brain of an eighty-something alzeimers patient, the result of taking too many bumps to the head as well as undiagnosed concussions. If people took more responsibility for themselves instead of scapegoating a problem, the wrestling industry would not be under the microscope as much. Then again,..that's blog of a different sort.

TOW wrestling will be presenting a show this coming Sept 25 in Montreal. Scheduled to appear are La Resistance, PCO, Honky Tonk Man , and a special tribute to Pat Patterson.

All for now.

Breaking Point...very lackluster...

I find it truly sad when one has to wait in order to find the best words that describe a mediocre PPV. Well,.that being said, I'll go with lackluster. This PPV was a throwback to the 'throwaway fillers' there called 'In your House.' You remember, they filled the gaps between the major events and apart from the 'Hell in the Cell' debut (Oct 1997) nothing substantial ever happened. Let's do a little bit of a breadown shall we?.,..

First off, Jericho and Big Show vs MVP and Mark Henry. Chris Jericho has to be one of the best talents in wrestling. He is the consistant 'go to' guy when the roster becomes plagued with injuries. Big Show is looking more like a Big 'Slob' if anything and his singlet does not really sell his atheleticism for me. MVP is definetely a break out star, while Mark Henry still having a job suspends my active intellect. Final result, a good match, with Show and Jericho retaining.

Next up,.Kofi Kingston vs The Miz. Very good match between two undercard guys. Please turn Kofi heel,..(I believe it would be great!) Some mic work from Miz in french,.Kofi retains, smiling his way back to the dressing room.

DX vs Legacy. What's to say? Great fight which probably didn't come off well for the live crowd. Great mic work from Triple H, despite some 'You screwed Bret!' chants directed at Michaels which 'H' acknowledged and played to the crowd with absolving himself from any wrong doing. In the end Michaels taps with class giving a rub to Legacy setting up next month's Hell in the Cell.

John Cena vs Randy Orton. This begs the question,..Why in the blue hell did Cena win? Orton's character is amazing, his psycho/disturbed persona really is starting to come together. An emotional match, with lots of psychology saw Cena win,..(Why?) How many shirts does Cena sell?

CM Punk vs Undertaker. The crappiest way to end the PPV with a wink to the Montreal Scewjob of 1997. A false finnish led to a restart where the ref rang the bell on undertaker while he was fighting off the 'Anaconda vice..' Words cannot describe how lame this was,..as I suddenly felt the need to go to the bathroom and take a massive third degree dump!....nuff said!

Anything else isn't even worth mentioning,..

Bob Barker Raw!!!

Okay, so I have to comment,..first off I'm not gonna talk about Breaking Point this Sunday in Montreal(btw only 9000 tickets sold...)hehehe,..cheap plug!!! But I will talk about Bob Barker,.Mr Price Is Right himeself. That's right folks!,..in what was one of the most entertaining Raws ever,..The guest host angle really delivered! The first segment is absolutely hilarious, once again proving why WWE rules and WC,..err TNA won't ever hold a candle to them! Santino Marella C'mon Down,.!!! Check it out if you missed it!

WCW Review,...(The Rise and Fall...)

To tell you the honest truth, I was looking forward to this particular DVD, and as it started I was not disappointed. It started off fairly strong and really put over the Bill Watts era. It even put over Eric Bischoff and his marketing ability. Without getting into spoilers, it started getting weak right around the time Vince Russo was profiled. I felt it did not delve into other more ridiculous concepts (Ultimate Warrior?)and the 20 000 incarnations of the NWO.

One week away from Breaking Point. Montreal get ready.

WWE needs competition..

Monopoly can be a scary word, especially in light of how this term relates to the industry of professional wrestling. We (wrestling fans) all remember the fateful year of 2001, when WCW was bought out by the WWE and the Monday Night Wars ceased to be the focal point of the genre known as 'Sports Entertainment.' What was initially thought of as a victory from the WWE fans' vantage point has sorely become a tiresome cluster of workers who 'mail' in their efforts. As an example the initial 'invasion' angle was nothing but a feeble attempt at squashing what was viewed as a tarnished WCW (NWA) legacy. (Remember that by this time, Vince Russo the booker had already put the WCW belt on David Arquette.) Whoever was under contract to WCW at the time, (Booker T, DDP, some cruiserweights,.) came over as part of the package deal, while the guys under contract to Time Warner, (Hogan, Nash, Goldberg...) sat at home and waited for their contracts to expire. Week after week culminating in a September PPV, the WCW guys were squashed and a legitamite brand was put out to pasture.

Since that time WWE has lost its creative edge, becoming the Triple H and John Cena show. Oh sure, the part time guys are still there, (Taker and HBK) but with an accumulation of injuries, age factors, and lack of desire, more wrestlers are just going through the motions. While were at, please don't tell me that TNA is competition!,..I am not sure what the hell it is! Hopefully, it will grow to become somewhat of a decent competition, unfortunately I don't see it for the foreseeable future. It'll still be known as a haunting ground for released WWE wrestlers.

Later,

WWE becoming stale...

As I write these little mini-tweets, if you will, I've noticed that the current state of prowrestling is becoming more and more stagnant. My meditation comes from an online interview with Kevin Nash(aka Big Daddy Cool...). It seems that Nash, Michaels and Triple H were having a frank discussion about who the next generation of wrestlers will be to replace them. The sad reality is that nobody comes to mind, even John Cena! Every week we are treated to a rehashing of veterans squashing any sort of potential push for a younger team. This week, we saw the return of DX, and we don't have to be geniuses to figure out that they will bury legacy at Summerslam! I am reminded of an interview that Ted Dibiase Sr did on the Sahwn Michaels DVD, perhaps Shawn should take heed,..if you don't know what I'm talking about,it involved the Hogan-Michaels angle from 2005. My, how things come full circle...

Shawn Michaels,...

Once again, I have not posted in quite some time,..aside from the Raw guest host angle,.not much else is worth mentioning. On the other hand, I've just finished reading Shawn Michaels's book. As many of you know, I am active in Catholic Apologetics, and feel the need to respond to his notion (or his wife's)that the Church wasn't true to the Bible,..I will do it shortly,.probably on the other blog.

WWE EXTREME!!!

Yesterday it was reported that Umaga was released by WWE. Aside from that, CM PUNK is the new World Heavyweight Champion. This marks his 2nd run with the title. In other news, Tommy Dreamer has been given a chance to carry the ECW banner defeating Christian Cage and Jack Swagger. It's good to see Dreamer in that position, as he has been the heart and soul of the ECW movement both past and present. Finally Batista suffered a torn biceps injury and will be out of action for about four months. On the good side, WWE has really turned up the heat lately with solid creative and wrestling angles. Stay tuned!!!!

Nash taps,..Kennedy gone!

I haven't posted for quite some time due to lack of time...Kevin Nash faced Pierre Carl Ouellet this past Saturday at the Medley. After working a brutaly exhausting 8mins, Big Daddy Cool tapped out to an arm bar. This was billed as the rematch from 1995, (Diesel vs Jean Pierre LaFitte).

Other news has Ken Kennedy recently released from WWE after several main eventers complained about him. I guess its off to TNA?

Bobby Lashley TNA

Last night's TNA Pay-per View marked the start of Bobby Lashley with TNA. How this will figure into the general scheme of things remains to be seen. Lasley is best known from his time in WWE, specifically a run as ECW Champion. Since then Lashley has moved to MMA fighting, and as of right now TNA. Will he be part-time or full time remains to be seen.

In all honesty, TNA IMpact has been getting better, hopefully it can provide suitable competition to WWE,. which ultimately is very good for wrestling fans.

Smackdown vs Raw 2009

I just got this game for my PS3 and all I can say is WOW!!! The controls play like the previous years with lots of concentration on the analog sticks in order to do moves. There is both a career as well as a road to Wrestlemania mode which serves as a season and different storylines for a select few wrestlers. The create-wrestler is phenomenal as always, along with entrances and the new 'create a finish' which allows you to customize your own finisher!

The coolest thing by far however, is the fact that the Legends of Wrestlemania game which came out March 24th is compatible in the sense that you can download the entire roster to serve as Legends for Smackdown vs Raw 2009! Man do I feel like a kid talking about this stuff!

As far as wrestling news goes, Ric Flair turned down an offer of 250 000yr to return full time with WWE as a General Manager for one of the brands. In my opinion not the smartest decision, but to paraphrase Kevin Nash, 'Ric Flair next good decision will be his first...' Oh yeah, three hour Raw with the draft, Jericho to Smackdown? WTF!!!!

Wrestlemania Review

Welllllllllllllllll,..let's just say that I wasn't too impressed with this year's 'Mania. To start, the 'Money in the Bank' ladder match had too many bodies to showcase individual talent. The spots were botched, (many of them...)and didn't really make sense. It kind of felt like a TNA show. CM Punk won it for the second straight year and caused me to wonder why the WWE aggressively courted Christian away from TNA.

Instead of the Tag Titles being unified, we were given a twenty minute Kid Rock concert, (my,..how those titles have been diminished!). The Divas (and Santino) gimmicked it up and didn't even get any introductions including Sunny, Molly Holly or Torrie Wilson! The Tag titles were unified in a dark match and subsequently a rematch on Raw. JBL and Mysterio also, it would seem, also paid the price for Kid Rock as their match lasted about as long as I can breathe underwater! Oh yeah Mysterio won and JBL quit.(yawn...) Matt Hardy won over Jeff, Cena won in the Triple threat (surprise...) and Shock! Are you sitting down? Triple H (the son-in-law) won.

Although it didn't go on last, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels put on probably the greatest pro wrestling match in the last 10 yrs! Taker won after catching Shawn with a tombstone from a moonsault attempt! How cool was this match? Shawn took a first tombstone and kicked at 2! Taker kicked at 2 from sweet chin music,..it was about 35 mins of pure action and emotion. On a side note, don't be surprised if Triple (I'm the main event cause I'm related...) H lobbies to have them fired! lol!!!

Peace

Tazz gone...

Well, it appears that former ECW champion and Smackdown announcer Tazz has left WWE. Sources are claiming that he was burned out and needed time to recharge his batteries. Let the TNA speculation begin,..(even though he hasn't been an active wrestler for quite some time, it is still fun to watch the 'marks' light up the online community,..)

Sting to WWE????

Well it would be great if he would do it,..I mean just once. Number one he would have access to his wrestling library, the one that owned by WWE, which essentially means WCW which is his whole career. All you TNA geeks out there, oh by the way that's what you, that six-sided crap doesn't count.(You'll finally figure that out when Angle returns to WWE in September...) Anyway it appears that Sting's name has been thrown around in backstage circles at WWE. While he is still with that other stuff, it is highly unlikely that he'll go in the Hall of Fame. Still once his contract is up? Who knows?, but I'll bet good money on a Sting DVD that would sell extremely well. I for one would buy one!

Kevin Nash,...to Montreal!

That's right!,..Big Daddy Cool Diesel aka Big Sexy aka Oz aka the Master Blaster aka Vinny Vegas will be headlining the 10th anniversary show of IWS wrestling this coming May 23rd. For those who remember Nash went on to fame as Diesel, the bodyguard of Shawn Michaels who later became champ defeating Bob Baclund in 8 seconds and later formed the NWO with Hogan and Scott Hall. While I don't necessarily believe that Nash is a great wrestler, he is a hell of a good entertainer and can work a mike as well as anybody.

Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker is really starting to heat up with a kick-ass promo on Raw. Shawn was seen at a graveyard symbolically burying the Undertaker's streak, really cool stuff. If you haven't seen it, I would suggest checking it out!

Test Dead,...

This past Friday March 13th Andrew 'Test' Martin was found dead in his apartement in Florida. Not the best way to start off a blog about pro-wrestling, nevertheless it has to be said. My condolences to his family. The WWE remembers Test as the 'kayfabe' bodyguard for Motley Crue who appeared on Raw to help Shawn Michaels. After that he was part of the Corporation and was styled after Kevin 'Diesel' Nash,..well a much younger talented version of him anyway. Test went on the form T&A with Albert (Matt Bloom)and Trish Stratus. He was co-holder of the tag-team straps and had a singles run which included the intercontinental, European and hardcore championships. He was also the guy who again 'kayfabe' was supposed to marry Stephanie McMahon.

I sincerely believe that it is time to calm down on the 'steroid' issue and start talking about the prescription pain killer problems. 'Juice' is one thing but combined with a cocktail of 'uppers and downers' it is nothing short of lethal.

Prime Wrestling..

Yes it's me y'know me as the crazy conservative Catholic guy, but now,...you'll exclusively know me as a Prowrestling fanatic. Were talking WWE, NWA, WCW, ROH, the Montreal independants,(NCW, IWS). C'mon we need to hear about wrestling with Wrestlemania 25 just around the corner,..headlined by Shawn Michaels vs the Undertaker! Whatever your mood, even if you want to report wrestling sightings or wrestling news, rumors what have you,..It's an open forum..

Peace.